By Mary Berry

Millie  and  I

Somehow I got inveigled into having a new black Labrador puppy. Just one glance and the little bundle of soft black fur and endearing eyes with a "please love me" look and I instantly fell in love with her.

One forgets, however, how naughty and time-consuming puppies can be; always the wrong side of the door, permanently lying across the front of the Aga when I want to get things in and out of the ovens and oh, how does Millie chew?

So far my 2008 diary has no corners and January was in little bits on the floor while my back was turned.

Thank goodness Millie can't chew the Aga. It's still firmly in place and I know now not to hang a tea towel on the rail in front - just too tempting.

Obedience

Millie's mother, Coco, looks at her with despair when she leaps up on all fours to the kitchen table just to see what's about.

I follow close behind with a rolled up newspaper to curtail such antics. I obviously don't use it on her, but one bash on the worktop startles her and she knows the rules.

It's worked on every dog we've ever had, but at the moment Millie's winning!

There is some good news, though. She's obedient on walks and responds brilliantly to a whistle.

Doggy  dinners

I have to confess that I don't do special doggy dinners for Her Ladyship - her food comes dry in a sack. We soak it in water and it's wolfed down in a flash.

Garden  produce  soup

Wondeful soups: made from leeks, onions, carrots and celeriac from the garden

Paul and Tom like chunky bits, so very often I make 10 pints at a time using about 4lb of vegetables.

Having peeled the root vegetables and cleaned the leeks, I cut the root veg in thick strips and feed them through the funnel of the mixer, using the coarse slicer.

The leeks go through two at a time giving discs of leeks and the onions in halves - all so quick and easy (to think I always used to do it by hand and it took me twice as long - today's soup took me 35 minutes).

I sauté the veg in butter on the simmering plate for 10 minutes or so, then add a sprinkling of flour, stir it well and pour in 10 pints of homemade stock, thawed from the freezer.

Add the seasoning, bring to the boil on the boiling plate, then lid-on and into the simmering oven for a further 10 minutes or so until the veg are just tender.

Freeze some and keep the rest of the soup in the fridge and it will do several lunches with really good bread and cheese.

Time  for  a  walk

Life is all about love, and Millie and Coco are gazing up at me as I write. Weak and at their beck and call, we're off for a walk in the rain.

For more information about Mary visit Mary Berry online.